“This is fantastic news that we’ve smashed the targets,” said Mr Ewing.

“It is testament to the Scottish Government making forestry a priority and investing and helping growing the industry.

“The whole tree planting effort has truly been a national endeavour with all forestry interests, both large and small, pulling together.”

He added: “With an increase in tree planting in the pipeline, it is now more important than ever to make sure the right trees are planted in the right places.

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“A new approach to woodland creation proposals was introduced last year and whilst this has helped us deliver the target, it also ensures that communities and interest groups are consulted along the way.

“But there is also a huge environmental significance to the increase in tree planting. We are now facing a global environment emergency.

“In Scotland alone, around 9.5 million tonnes of CO2 each year are removed from the atmosphere by our forests – this is a clear example of why an increase in tree planting is so important in the fight against climate change.”

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing (Alan Peebles/PA)

“The urgency for action on climate change is starting to hit home,” she said.

“At the same time the role trees can play in soaking up carbon is also becoming more generally recognised.

“Scotland has been ahead of the curve on this compared to the rest of the UK and we are absolutely delighted that the planting targets have finally been met.

“We need to keep this momentum going. We need to both expand the area of Scotland’s woods and significantly improve the condition of the forest habitats we already have.”